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The countdown had started much earlier. It was on February 26, 1947,
when the British Government made an important announcement of
policy. It declared, its intention to quit India by June, 1948, and
appointed Lord Mountbatten Viceroy of India to arrange for the
transfer of authority from British to Indian hands. This momentous
declaration had already evoked hearty enthusiasm all over India.
Mountbatten assumed office on 24th March, 1947, and on 3rd June
broadcast the famous declaration laying down the method by which
the power will be transferred.
So, the groundwork was already done. It was only an waiting for the
formal announcement.
As the midnight approached on August 14, 1947, the whole nation had
geared up to greet the glorious moment of their nation's history. And
with the last stroke of midnight the waiting was over. India put her
first step out of the 300 years of British colonial rule as an
Independent nation.
The pangs of heavy losses was there, though . For, the much-sought-
after-freedom had come after so many sacrifices and loss of lives that
it left a deep scar on the soul of the nation. Yet, indeed, it was a
moment of celebration for all Indians.
Finally, the resolution was moved to take the Oath of the Dedication.
The text of the ran:- " At this solemn moment when the people of
India, by their suffering and sacrifice have secured freedom and
become martyrs of their destiny I .........., a member of Constituent
Assembly of India, do dedicate myself to the service of India and her
people to the end that this ancient land attain its rightful and
honoured place in the world and make its full willing contribution to
the promotion of the world peace and welfare of mankind." All the
members took the oath standing.
The dawn of Independence day began at 8:30 a.m, with the swearing
in ceremony at the Viceregal Lodge (now known as the Rashtrapati
Bhawan). The new Government was sworn in the central hall (now
Durbar Hall). Two large size National Flags along with the Governor
General's flag in deep blue with the Star of India were majestically
hung in the backdrop on the wall of the hall facing the distinguished
gathering. The Tricolor proudly went up for the first time against a
free sky of Independent India on the flag mast of the Council House
at 10:30 a.m.
The first Prime Minister of the India unfurled the tricolor against a
clear warm sky, symbolically marking the end of the British colonial
rule. And a new journey had began.
The Flag [Tiranga]
Born on July 22, 1947 in the Constituent
Assembly on the eve of the Independence, the
Indian national Flag is a horizontal tricolor.
When the adhoc Committee on the Flag
adopted it as the National Flag of free India,
Jawaharlal Nehru made a memorable speech
and concluded saying :
Saffron
White
Green
National Emblem
The national emblem comes from the Sarnath
Lion Capital of Emperor Ashoka. Ashoka ruled
the land from 272 BCE to 232 BCE. The original
sculpture shows four lions on a pillar with an
elephant, horse, bull, and lion separated by a lotus
on the base. A Dharma Chakra (wheel of law) is
also carved into the stone.
The emblem was adopted on January 26, 1950 by
the Indian Government. The official symbol now
shows three of the four lions with the Dharma
Chakra in the center of the base and a bull and
horse on either side. The base is also engraved
with the phrase "Satyameva Jayate" in the
Devanagari script of India. This simple phrase
represents a powerful idea for the Indian people:
"Truth alone triumphs".
National Animal
Tiger (Panthera Tigris, Linnaeus) is the national
animal of India. Tiger is also known as the lord of
Jungles. The tiger is symbolic of India's wildlife
wealth. The rare combination of grace, strength,
agility and enormous power has earned the tiger
great respect and high esteem. India is home to
nearly half of the total population of tigers.
National Bird
The Peacock, Pavo cristatus (Linnaeus), is the
national bird of India. The peacock symbolises
qualities like beauty, grace, pride and mysticism.
Peacock is a colourful, swan-sized bird, with a fan-
shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the
eye and a long, slender neck. The male of the
species is more colourful than the female, with a
glistening blue breast and neck and a spectacular
bronze-green train of around 200 elongated
feathers they spead out in display at the onset of
the monsoons. The female is brownish in color,
slightly smaller than the male, and lacks the train.
Peacocks have a harsh voice, which is a stark
contrast to their beauty. The elaborate courtship
dance of the male, fanning out the tail and
preening its feathers is a beautiful sight.
Peacock is the sacred bird of the India, protected
not only by the religious sentiment but also by
parliamentary statute.
National Calendar of India
The national calendar of India is based on the Saka Era
with Chaitra as the first month and a normal year of
365 days. The national calendar of India was adopted on
March 22nd 1957. Dates of the Indian national calendar
have a permanent correspondence with the Gregorian
calendar dates- 1 Chaitra normally falls on 22 March
and on 21 March in leap year.
The national Calendar of India is used along with the
Gregorian calendar for the following official purposes-
(i) Gazette of India, (ii) news broadcast by All India
Radio, (iii) calendars issued by the Government of
India and (iv) Government communications addressed
to the members of the public.
The Indian Tricolour
The Indian flag is rectangular in shape and is
made up of three horizontal breadths of Saffron,
White and Green. The Saffron stands for courage
nad sacrifice, White for purity and Green for
fertility. There is a wheel with 24 spokes in the
middle of the white coloured portion of the flag.
The wheel represents the Dharma Chakra.
National Flower
Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera) is the National Flower of
India. On the virtue of being a sacred flower, it
occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of
ancient India and has been an auspicious symbol of
Indian culture since time immemorial. The Lotus
symbolises divinity, fertility, wealth, knowledge and
enlightenment. The flower grows in murky waters and
rises on a long stalk above the surface to bloom. It
represents long life, honor, and good fortune.
Lotus is also symbolic of the purity of heart and
mind.The lotus holds additional significance for
Hindus, as it is a symbol of God and used often in
religious practices. According to the popular Indian
thought, there is the last and final lotus - Charan Kamal
or lotus feet of the Almighty. It was this depth of
thought that made the founding fathers of modern
India enshrine the lotus in the Constitution as the
National Flower.
National Fruit of
India
Mango (Mangifera Indica) is the National fruit of
India. In India, mango is cultivated almost in all parts,
except the hilly areas. Mango is a rich source of
Vitamins A, C and D. In India, we have hundreds of
varieties of mangoes. They are of different sizes, shapes
and colors. Even in our mythology and history there are
stories of mangoes- the famous Indian poet Kalidasa
sang its praise. Alexander the great, along with Hieun
Tsang savored the taste of mangoes. The great Mughal
king, Akbar is said to have planted over 100,000 mango
trees in Darbhanga (modern Bihar). The mango is
eaten ripe and is also used to make pickles.
The National Tree of
India